Americans are notorious for eating at fast food restaurants. The 15 firefighters competing in the My Heart Challenge are no exception. They never really know what their shift entails, or when they can grab their next meal - so they often find themselves grabbing food from a fast food place like McDonalds. I've put together a little visual to help you see that even places like McDonalds have healthy options.

Every three minutes someone dies from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in the United States. In fact, it claims about 300,000 lives in the US each year – more fatalities than from stroke, breast cancer, and HIV/AIDS combined.

Unhealthy dietary intake and inadequate physical activity are the foundation of many chronic diseases that plague the human race. These behaviors have their roots firmly planted in a society that has increasingly engineered physical activity out of our lives, and made available food that is high in fat and calories. The combination has turned deadly for our society, but learn how you can make a lifestyle change for the better.

I am excited to be working with the 15 firefighters participating in the 2014 My Heart Challenge, sponsored by the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute. But why should the firefighters be the only ones to benefit with nutrition tips? I'm planning to share a weekly nutrition tip throughout the Challenge, offering you a simple way to make those little changes in how and what you eat that will make a big difference in your heart health.

At any stage of change, with any behavior, support can be your greatest motivator and help you stay committed. Support can look different to everyone, but here are a few ways you can help keep yourself on track when it comes to reaching your healthy exercise (and nutrition) goals.

If you are trying to eat healthier, but are getting bored with the same meal of chicken, broccoli and brown rice, then maybe it's time to change things up. Here are five ways you can bust through the meal time boredom and give your taste buds something healthy to crave.

Blood pressure is the force of blood pressing against the walls of your arteries, like the pressure of water in a garden hose. Many people have high blood pressure (also called hypertension) without knowing it. This is why it is sometimes called the “silent killer.”

Nearly 75 million adults have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, or hypertension, in the United States. That is one out of every three adults. This is why you, the patient, must be an active and involved partner in combating the illness.

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